I have attended meetings about this, applied for jobs at the Animal Shelter, and still the killing and the barbaric action continues. The vet is a very unkind and uncaring person and as you say, no one gives a damn. It goes on and on and on. We have complained and complained with no result. I can’t stand it. The city hires lazy workers and they get the job just because its good pay. THEY DONT GIVE DIDDLY SQUAT ABOUT THE ANIMALS. I will join the letter writing campaign, because I am sick to death about this and totally fed up. There are no checks and balances and no one is held accountable. The ones fired last October are still collecting paychecks until their trial. How’s that for a waste of taxpayer dollars. Of course, this is Memphis, and the city likes spending our money. It is totally disgusting and abhorrent. They just plain and simply do not care.

Waltraut

Unless a way is found to stop this pet explosion therE will alsways be euthanasia.

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If shelters need to do this it is their responsibility to make sure that these pets do not sufer and leave with a minimum amount of stress. This is the very least they must do – allow these pets some dignity before they have to leave.

The photos are criminal and these people should be fired; they obviously have no compasion and only do this job to earn some money

Tracy

No…it won’t change. No…they aren’t doing jack about it. Memphis Animal Shelter has had issues forever and no one seems to give a damn. The people they hire sure don’t care. Last year they made a big deal out of a new director who was supposed to care..yeah, right. More dead dogs, more tax money gone. They usually kill pit bulls immediately. They are uncaring, unprofessional, heartless animals that work there.

Shirley

Even when we try to do something, the city won’t do anything, the shelter won’t give straight answers, and anyone that tries to help is shut down completely. It’s impossible to even find out any information about what animals are on the ‘kill list’ for the day. It really sucks. What we need right now is more people involved IN Memphis to spread the word and make this a priority.

Luanne

I noticed you mistakenly wrote “shelter” on one of the pictures, the one where the people are bringing in the GSD. I realize it was an accident because you generally refer to this hellhole in correct terms. Does Mein Fuhrer know what Himmler and Mengele are up to, I wonder.

Daun

So they allowed a pregnant mama to whelp only to immediately kill her pups? Why didn’t they just kill the mama too, because having your pups taken away will cause so physical & mental trauma to that mama.

Daun

I also do not understand why they use chokepoles for moving around all the animals. They could use slip leads instead. I have never been to a “shelter” where chokepoles were necessary for regular activities.

nanci little

The fact that people who work in shelters DO NOT care a whit about the dogs is obvious. What is SO sad is that these poor animals never get a moment of comfort or loving hands probably throughout their short lives and certainly not here at their moment of death from these kind of people. Even sadder is that someone like you or me, or any of us who rescue and realized that euthanasia is sometimes the only alternative due to lack of suitable homes, DO give that extra TLC and comfort at the end to each and every little soul; but could survive emotionally performing this horrible job day after day, week after week.. With proper treatment of an animal – be it the comforting hand or the tranquilizer for the fearful dogs in their last big delicious meal – there should be no terror, there should be no pain. That is all I ask for at the end of my life, the same freedom from fear and pain. If Karma IS the Bitch of the Universe, let us all add to our daily meditation and prayer the hope that she serves her purpose and visits those who show this total lack of compassion and improper treatment of living beings that we see here in Memphis.

Erica

LJBain

“When a human dies there is a bridge they must cross to enter into Heaven. At the head of that bridge waits every animal that human encountered during their lifetime. The animals, based on what they know of this person, decide which humans may cross the bridge and which are turned away.”

alison

The people who work in these places and collect a paycheck should be very ashamed of themselves….what type of a heartless person would carry a puppy by a leg or just walk past a dead dog like it is nothing or drag a pregnant mom down a hall….I’m disgusted that paces such as this exist and more disgusted that governemtns and politicians think this shit is acceptable….shame on those who choose to work there and shame on those who do nothing but watch.

J.W.Foster

Politicians are the key to this whole issue. Until we get some that care about their community as a whole. Things such as these will never change. They are more concerned with good ratings and getting re-elected, than doing right by People or animals in their districts.

Politicians have made laws for dogs, but the laws are not enforced to the point to where it makes any difference.. Politicians were not willing to make the dog laws, they had to because of people of the community insisted that there be laws to govern animals. Politicians makes the laws not enforce them. Here in Charleston West Virginia we have dog laws that are not enforced, the people that do not enforce the law should and could be held accountable by law. people for years have gone after the shelters instead of the corporation itself lets also hold the Humane Society and Association’s accountable for all action associated with breaking our City, County, and State Laws! What I have came up with is to file suit in court against individuals that bread the laws of our city county and state. The courts will be flooded by all the complaints and will take a stand with us to address the problems we have at our shelters. While convicting those that breaks the laws that govern our states. Kill Shelters should not be able to take on more than they can handle because of the percussion’s, the animal will pay the price. Because of the abundant of animals the only for see solution’s are to kill. I believe that the cameras should be put on the workers of these facilities to see if they are following policies and procedures and to see how adequate these facilities are. It breaks the harts of animal lovers to see how cruel Americans are with the lack of compassion,morals, competence, and values, we people that believe can make a difference.

Tessa45

Marion Ambler

Just looking at these photos makes me sick; I can only begin to imagine how helpless and scared the dogs taken here feel. It looks like a bloody morgue or autopsy room and the workers don’t look like they realize they are dealing with living sentient beings. If it was up to me anyplace this deadly looking would be closed; and money would only go to no kill shelters with workers who can show some compassion to the animals. This is really the most ungodly cold lethal looking place and I never imagined any shelters looked like this.

AnneMarie

Everyone has a right to their opinion on all the webcam shots. Regardless of whether that shot shows a dead dog or a crumpled newspaper, the fact is that way too many pets die in their cages at MAS. That is a statistical fact, not created by any shadow, and available to the public for review.

The reader who sent me the shots in question also sent a couple more which I didn’t post. They occurred after the series above. They appear to show a worker on the floor next to the dead dog (or crumpled newspaper) bagging it up.

Your suggestion that crumpled newspaper was placed on the floor and eventually bagged up after people looked at it is possible. The webcam shots are not crystal clear. But if it was crumpled paper, I have to say it sure seemed to attract some attention while it was on the floor.

If only every webcam shot could be explained away as shadowy newspaper, I’d certainly feel a lot better about MAS. But since they continue to needlessly kill 77% of their pets, I can only feel sadness and outrage.

Michele Last

Arlene, I also enlarged the photo and saw the exact same thing you did. Took me 1 minute to do and was able to quickly ascertain what was in the shot. And YesBiscuit is also correct…whether or not you are able to tell if that’s a deceased animal in one of the screen shots, it does not negate what we see in any of the other screen shots! These scenes are hard to look at and deplorable, but unfortunately they are not limited to MAS…this goes on all across the country every day. This is why we must remain vigilant and be the voice for those who cannot speak…only then will change occur!

Tracy

People have complained for YEARS. There was a story about a woman who adopted a dog there a yr or so ago? and she paid for the dog, was to pick it up the following Monday am. She shows up….dog is dead. The workers put it to sleep. They could have cared LESS . This woman was heartbroken. Things like this happen ALL THE TIME at the Memphis Animal Shelter. It’s a nightmare

Mary Handley

I feel so helpless…I live in Michigan…what can I do? Can those people really be as cold as they seem? Why puppies…they could have found homes for puppies. They are lazy and tax dollars are paying their salaries. God help us help your precious creatures.

Rosie

This makes me sick!! The inhumane treatment of these animals is out of control and MUST End!! I don’t understand how these people can be so cruel and uncaring then go to home and sleep in peace!! Shame Shame on them! If the leaders in this community aren’t taking notice and doing something to stop this then shame on them and a police investigation does need to be brought forth for the torture of animals! Last I knew it was illegal to torture or harm animals and being an animal shelter does NOT make you exempt from it!! Sick People!!

Nancy

Nothing saddens me more than those that lack compassion for animals. I am sick of hearing “It’s just a dog.” If they can treat animals this way on a daily basis, and still sleep at night, God help them. I feel horrible after just yelling at one of my dogs for doing things that come natural to them-like digging in the yard. The look in their eyes says it all. While we provide food, care etc for our dogs;they give back so much more-unconditional love.

SpayNeuterNOW

Matthew Pepper-Why are LARGE dogs, being placed in cages that are obviously too small for them? These are puppy/small dog cages. I am applaud to even have to say this. If they can’t stand up and move around, the cage is clearly too small. They can pee or poop and get away from it, they will have no choice, but to lay in their own waste. This is no way for any dog to spend it’s last days. Is it too much to ask the staff to use common sense???

Arlene

OMG OMG. An officer just dragged a huge dog all the way around the rows and finally just left him chokepoled laying infront of the row of cages across the back. He got water and then stuffed that huge huge dog into that small small cage. Is there no one there who can or will do something? Where do these creatures come from that they have no common decency at all. I want to know, Memphis. How long are your tax dollars going to pay for this treatment of innocent animals. We all want to know!

Tracy

I’ve been in that shelter many times. You would not believe what it smells/looks like. The puppies are in their own feces and urine. I went one day around 11am. They said they hadn’t had time to clean cages, HOWEVER there were 4 guys all sitting up front just talking shit, laughing. I was outraged. They have very sick dogs there, barely any medical treatment. They just put them to sleep.

selkie

Why don’t the people of Memphis care? Why are they not mortified that the rest of nation, that other countries are looking at them and seeing how cruel, how inhumane, how uncaring they are? If only to preserve some semblence of pride in their city, why do they allow htis to continue?

J.W.Foster

heatherton

This is so sickening and unnecessary!! Why is this allowed to go on? OMG!! OUR US PRISON SYSTEM TREATS MASS-MURDERERS AND RAPISTS WITH MORE COMPASSION!! Who in the hell is incharge and how could they allow this? What kind of society allows this to go on? What can I do, I’m on the West Coast…is there someone we can call or email? News stations?

susan leddy

As I sit here at my computer with tears streaming down my face again,still not being able to comprehend the atrosities that are committed at this shelter.I’m all to familar with the treatment of these animals at this shelter, it’s pretty much the same way at TOHAS in NY.I don’t know what makes me sicker or sadder,the treatment of the animals or the pathetic people that work at the shelter that causes the pain and mistreatment of these poor defenseless souls.How do these people sleep at night or make peace with themselves ad continue to function knowing how disrespectful they have been to a living creature.It’s bad enough that these babies have to be in this place and be cast out into the street, why , why , why, can’t these worker show them some dignity,or kindness when the end is near.Are you people that null and void of emotion that your not capable of some simple kindness.Or is it that your that lazy and you think being gential or kind is going to take to much effort.It scares me to think that some of you may have children,is this how you treat them or worse yet is this what you teach them.I want to hate you for what you do and how you treat a living soul but then that doesn’t make me any better than you,and I in no way want to be compared to you.So I will continue to pray for your sorry pathetic ass and hope that the good lord will be your judge and take care of you in his own way an time.I pray for justice for these animals and their deaths are not in vain. RIP all the animals that met with this horrible fate <3

chowbaby666

R. Rubin

You have become numb to the pain and brutality you enforce. You might think you’re doing good deeds by ending the lives of these abandoned animals, but you’re only putting to death innocent victims. You should be ashamed.

Kevin

They don’t become numb, they never had a heart to begin with. I worked AT SF SPCA and the procedure is followed out with dignity and respect. The animals are brought from their cages to enjoy some outdoor time and given some food to help quiet them down. St staff keeps the animal comfortable and calm through the procedure to eliminate stress on the animal. This shelter is a animal Auschwitz. Everyone should be fired and a new director in place to develop new procedures discipline against animal abuse.

Brenda LVT

This is a very hard job that takes a toll on the employee’s. I have had to put down many animals in my lifetime and it is never easy. If you have never walked in the shoes of these people you should not judge them. All animals deserve to be treated with respect, but we do not know what is going on when these pics were taken.

Ayra

Probably the nazi in the concentration camps could say the same – it wasnt easy job to put down so many “unnecessary” people but someone hve to do it.
I dont see a difference between you Brenda and the nazi.
The people they choice to do this work are criminals and deserve the same treathment.

james thornhill

Have these people ever heard the story of the world’s creation? If so… they surely must take note that God only neede rest AFTER he created humans! We were charged and in fact are still, with caring for this earth and all that dwell upon it. Would these same people sit by when their children were treated this way?

Bev Allbright

Was the woman who left that beautiful GS aware that within minutes it would be killed. Is there anyway of getting the word out to the public in the area of this hell hole. I wish I could afford to fly to the area I would be organizing a protest or something. I hate just seeing this and not being able to do anything for these helpless animals. Does anyone know the contact info of the shelter. Please post it.

Mario Gandolfo

Tessa45

BRENDA. I have worked in shelter for over 15 yrs. The only euthansia I was a party to was my own 16 yr old cat who was going into kidney failure and the vet gave no hope. I held her and talked to her while she was tranquilized first. Another was a rooster who I fostered from a baby. He had deformed feet and as he got bigger he was top heavy and could not stand to even eat. I even tried to make something to help him stand, but rooster and chickens like to roam around and look for bugs. It wasn’t fair to him. My shelter only puts down chronically sick, viscious or to old, with illnesses like arthritis. It is a matter of principle. No money or job could make me abandon my principles. They are Gods creatures.

Siobhan Lyons

Mahatma Gandhi stated, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
This footage makes me feel terribly ashamed of being human :( I’d rather starve to death than work somewhere like that :( At least I know that if I was starving my dog would love me to my last breath. Shame on “Shelters” who Kill :(

Nicci

Ok, I told myself “DO NOT look at these pictures, Nicci. Forget you ever saw this blog!”, …but I looked anyway. And I have to say, the GSD put me right over the edge. We are huge fans of GSDs and would have a dozen of them if we had room.

Please tell me what we can do to help. We live in Jackson, so not that far from this horrible, horrible place…

brenda

it is so sad that these animals are treated like this,then to know they have to be drug by poles and stuffed into small cages before they face the end of their lives.god will punish these people that treat defenseless animals like that.i think they should be treated just like these helpless little animals.

Jessica Cullum

This is extremely disturbing!!! I understand they are overrun with animals, but SERIOUSLY?!?!? Someone needs to do something about this NOW!! It is these peoples jobs to take care of these animals. I thought they had a certain amount of time to be adopted?? Why did they take the GSD straight to the kill room??? And to leave a dead animal on the floor?!?!? I am EXTREMELY disappointed in the way Shelby County is handling this situation!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary Jane Pike

I believed the mayor of Memphis when he said there would be changes at the animal “shelter” but now I see he is the same kind of liar his predecessor was. The new director has turned a blind eye to the abuse and the public has forgotten. The same people taking “care” of the animals now are the same ones who were there before the so called change.

Tracy

jennifer

o m g these images are so sad and sick how would they feel if they the staff of this shelter were in these poor innocent animals positions and that they were being treated this way i bet they wouldn’t like it one bit. there more ways to handle this and quick kill isn’t one of them grant it space is limited but they are other rescue groups out there ask ASPCA those beautiful pups the momma dog that poor lil black dog didn’t have to go down like that the German Shepard could have gone to a great home my uncle has been looking for a dog like that for a while it was and is sense less and is a complete travesty a waste of life sin abomination has anyone forgot that commandment thy shall not kill?

LIVID

WHEN IS THIS GOD FORSAKEN CITY GOING TO PUT AN END TO THIS? The common inhumane practices to animals and even other humans in this city is rampant to the point that even the government officials have become desensitized to the value of ANY life!!!!!!!!! ABSOLUTELY SICKENING!!!!

bobbie

Carla

This is so sad…I just got a small dog from the animal shelter. The best dog I have ever had..Just remember that all creatures are God’s..They didn’t ask to be brought into this world..Sure they all can not be kept…but place have a little compassion. Do your job, but use a little respect.

Dawne N

These pictures make me sick to my stomach. I wish these so called workers could be treated with the same treatment they meter out. I have been involved in dog rescue for years and there have been several occasions when I have attempted to ‘spring’ a dog from this so called shelter and was refused specific dogs. I am not a novice to the temperament of a dog and if I believed a dog was indeed a dangerous dog I would never try to rescue it. Every day many beautiful dogs are destroyed here—-dogs that deserve a caring owner to return the love they have to give. I have literally lost many nights of sleep over the precious dogs that I was refused to give a chance to.

THE ANIMAL SHELTER IS NO BETTER THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO!!!!!!!OMG dont be sad ,be shocked,be appauled,be mad,then do something.write the link posted on this site and bring up your worries.put your name on the list of people who wont stand for this anymore! WARNING THESE PICS WILL DISTURB ANY DOG LOVER!!!

Miche

This shelter has been a vile place for a long time. My husband and I tried to adopt a dog there a few years ago. We were standing at a kennel admiring the Akita, we had just agreed to adopt. Hubby went to the desk to do the paperwork. An older black male worker approached, and without a word, proceeded to drag the dog from the kennel. I told him that we were in the process of adopting the dog, and was told, “too late. his time is up”. I protested loudly (trying to get everyone’s attention) that we were paying cash right then, to take him home, and he still told me, “if their time is up, their time is up”, and dragged him into the kill room, forcing me out of the door way, and closing the door in my face. My husband heard me screaming and finally got the girl at the desk to go back there and tell the worker that we were adopting the dog. The worker informed her that it was already over!!! He WANTED to kill him!!!! And, they were all over the memphis news years ago for allowing workers who were not certified to do so, to euthanize animals, unsupervised, after hours. I HATE this place!!!

Tessa45

I don’t understand how this worker can have this much authority to kill a dog that is spoken for. He should be happy that it was being adopted. I would not want this man as a neighbor as I would always be uncomfortable around him. You don’t leave this kind of cold hearted cruelty behind when you leave work. This speaks lots of him as a human being. This is a concentration camp for animals and it is here in the US.

Arlene

People of Memphis listen up. You need to speak up for the sake of the animals. Go to the meeting this week. Crowd that council meeting and be heard. Write to the everyone listed in an earlier post and Contact Shelby County District Attorney General William Gibbons and urge him to prosecute those responsible for this abhorrent cruelty to the fullest extent of the law.
Shelby County District Attorney’s OfficeÂ
201 Poplar Avenue, Third FloorÂ
Memphis, Tennessee 38103Â
901-545-5900william.gibbons@scdag.com

Linda

SHAMESHAMESHAME!!!!!!!! Theres a special place in hell for all of you that works there!!!
“Animals are God’s creatures, not human property, nor utilities, nor resources, nor commodities, but precious beings in God’s sight…Christians whose eyes are fixed on the awfulness of crucifixion are in a special position to understand the awfulness of innocent suffering. The Cross of Christ is God’s absolute identification with the weak, the powerless, and the vulnerable, but most of all with unprotected, undefended, innocent suffering.”— Reverend Andrew Linzey

“Animals have done us no harm and they have no power of resistance.…There is something so very dreadful…in tormenting those who have never harmed us, who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power.”—Cardinal John Henry Newman

“Animals, as part of God’s creation, have rights which must be respected. It behooves us always to be sensitive to their needs and to the reality of their pain.”—Dr. Donald Coggan, former Archbishop of Canterbury

“When a human dies there is a bridge they must cross to enter into Heaven. At the head of that bridge waits every animal that human encountered during their lifetime. The animals, based on what they know of this person, decide which humans may cross the bridge and which are turned away.”

Laura

Okay, I guess I have to be the bad guy here. I totally agree that what is going on at this place is appauling and should not be allowed to happen. That something needs to be done and there needs to be a change. I agree that all of these photos are hard evidence of the cruelty and unecessary treatment of the animals, I agree the workers are heartless SOBs that need a good whoopin with one of those catch poles. I agree that they euthanize dogs when they shouldn’t be euth’d. Any GSD rescue in the nation would have taken that dog in. I do not agree that they are the only ones to blame for the high euth rates. When are people going to take responsibility for being the main creators of the overpopulation issue in the south??? People breed dogs to make a penny or two, not even caring about the future of the puppies they had a hand in creating. They think it’s okay to let their male dogs run free to “sew their wild oats” (no joke, my neighbor said this to me one day when I was complaining about her aggressive unaltered male dog running in my yard and marking on everything). When will people like that realize that one single male dog can create more puppies in one breeding season than a female dog can in several years??? Half of the dog owners I run across don’t even know what “alter”, “spay” or “neuter” mean. Irresponsible and uneducated pet owners are the ones that create this cycle. They are the ones that create the overcrowding in shelters which in turn results in euthanasia. If shelters did not euthanize then the kennels/cages would be full in less than a week. Where would the homeless dogs go??? Where would people take their dogs because they are moving into an apartment or having a baby or dont have time (love these “excuses”)?? They would drop them on the street. Now, with all of these dogs on the streets, more of an overpopulation issue would be created. Pretty soon they’d have to make a dog hunting season to help control the numbers. Think with reality here people, not your hearts. Call me heartless, but ya know what, I have my brain wrapped around the reality of things. The source of the problem needs the surface scratched long before places like Memphis Animal Shelter will ever be shut down. Wake up Memphis and educate your friends and neighbors on spaying and neutering their pets. Get out there and help, volunteer at your local shelter or rescue, etc. . . a lot of times rescue groups need people to help out with “legs” of transports to get a dog from down here to it’s adopter somewhere else in the country. If you can help with a 2 hr leg, then that’s one more space opened up in a rescue group so that rescue group can get another dog off the street or out of the shelter.

If you really want to attack MAS then try calling the media, flood Facebook, Twitter, contact Rachel Ray, Oprah, whoever. The more people pull together and get someone BIG involved, the better the chances are at getting something done. You can contact political figures all you want, they don’t give a rat’s a$$!

Nicci

@Laura, thanks for putting into words some of the things that I have been thinking over the last week. I have to wonder if the politicians and people in charge of MAS don’t just roll their eyes at the letter writing campaign and think the same things you said. While I think they obviously don’t do NEAR enough to try to get these pets adopted and that they treat them like crap while they are in their “care”, I feel like the problem will never go away until people are educated. You are absolutely right that most pet owners in this region don’t have a clue about spay/neuter. In fact, they look at me like I have a 3rd eye when I suggest it (“why spend $50-$100 on a dog that i am going to give away or let run off anyway”). So, I don’t know what the perfect solution is, but I agree that if the number of animals going into the shelter was reduced, obviously the number of animals being euth’d would be reduced. Perhaps by showing the people of Memphis (and the rest of the south) these images from MAS we can begin to educate them on what happens when they DON’T alter their pets, or when they breed their pit bulls and sell the puppies out of the back of their pick-up truck in wal-mart parking lot…

Teri

These idiots walk among us, have children and continue the cycle of abuse for animals of 2 and 4 legs. The animal control officer who manages this death facility needs to be held accountable for every one of these actions and then shoved into a cage that is too small for him/her.

I have a question do they hire these people after they are done serving in jails on death row they enjoy it way to much and I wonder do they do home checks on their families to make sure they are alive lawd knows hell is gonna be so crowded from the ones at the top that allow this to continue to the ones that are a product of innerbreeding that do this@

Brittany textor

What the hell is wrong with those people? I mean come on WTF!!! And why in heavens name is that being tolerated? I have never been so angry in my life. Come on people fire those incompetent assholes. The animals can be no worse off as they are while in the care of the Memphis Animal Abuse Shelter.

mona

Every single one of those workers seen abusing animals and inhumane treatment of them should be fired !!!! Hire people who actually care…they don’t ….fire them.!!! A shelter is a place of protection and safety …NOT HORROR !!

Memphis Animal Services came up with an interesting response to all the horrific webcam photos that were being shown about their treatment of animals: They took the webcam down! Out of sight, it never happens, right?